Netanyahu Urges UN to Remove Peacekeepers from Lebanon
The Israeli Prime Minister has alleged that UN forces are providing protection to Hezbollah and issued a warning that they will face danger unless they pull out. Read Full Article at RT.com
TroibNews 
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has called for the withdrawal of UNIFIL peacekeepers from southern Lebanon, warning that their presence endangers them by acting as a "human shield to Hezbollah terrorists."
In a video message he posted on social media Sunday, Netanyahu urged UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to remove UNIFIL from areas known to be Hezbollah strongholds, emphasizing that the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) have repeatedly requested such action but faced refusals that ultimately protect Hezbollah.
UNIFIL, or the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, was established in 1978 to oversee the withdrawal of Israeli military forces to a boundary called the ‘blue line,’ which separates Lebanon from Israel and the Golan Heights. Based in Naqoura, UNIFIL comprises about 10,000 troops from roughly 50 countries, with a mission to monitor the demilitarization of southern Lebanon between the blue line and the Litani River.
Israel contends that UNIFIL has failed to mitigate Hezbollah's fortification in the region, even while preventing Israeli forces from addressing the threat. In recent weeks, the Israeli military has crossed the blue line, and there have been reports of its forces attacking UNIFIL bases.
On Thursday and Friday, four peacekeepers from Sri Lanka and Indonesia were injured when Israeli tanks targeted their watchtowers, according to UNIFIL. Another peacekeeper was struck by gunfire at Naqoura, although UNIFIL was unable to ascertain the source of the fire. Additionally, IDF bulldozers have damaged UNIFIL facilities, and Irish peacekeepers were encircled by Israeli tanks earlier this week after refusing to leave their outpost per Israeli demands.
Netanyahu also told Guterres in English to "get the UNIFIL forces out of harm’s way. It should be done right now, immediately," stressing that not evacuating UNIFIL soldiers effectively turns them into "hostages of Hezbollah" and jeopardizes both their safety and that of Israeli forces.
Despite the call for withdrawal, UNIFIL has declined to leave its positions. In a joint statement issued on Saturday, 40 countries involved in the mission urged Israel to investigate incidents involving attacks on peacekeepers. On the preceding day, the leaders of France, Italy, and Spain expressed their "outrage" over the attacks, accusing Israel of breaching UN Security Council resolution 1701, which prohibits Israeli operations in southern Lebanon.
Netanyahu expressed regret over the injuries sustained by peacekeepers but asserted that the "simple and obvious" solution to avert further casualties is to "just get them out of the danger zone."
Israel has intensified its military operations against Hezbollah in recent weeks, including a series of airstrikes on Beirut that resulted in the death of the group’s leader, Hassan Nasrallah. Following a ground invasion, the death toll in Lebanon exceeds 2,100, according to the Health Ministry there. The IDF has confirmed that around two dozen of its soldiers have died in Lebanon, while Hezbollah claims the actual number of Israeli casualties is considerably higher.
Olivia Brown contributed to this report for TROIB News
In a video message he posted on social media Sunday, Netanyahu urged UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to remove UNIFIL from areas known to be Hezbollah strongholds, emphasizing that the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) have repeatedly requested such action but faced refusals that ultimately protect Hezbollah.
UNIFIL, or the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, was established in 1978 to oversee the withdrawal of Israeli military forces to a boundary called the ‘blue line,’ which separates Lebanon from Israel and the Golan Heights. Based in Naqoura, UNIFIL comprises about 10,000 troops from roughly 50 countries, with a mission to monitor the demilitarization of southern Lebanon between the blue line and the Litani River.
Israel contends that UNIFIL has failed to mitigate Hezbollah's fortification in the region, even while preventing Israeli forces from addressing the threat. In recent weeks, the Israeli military has crossed the blue line, and there have been reports of its forces attacking UNIFIL bases.
On Thursday and Friday, four peacekeepers from Sri Lanka and Indonesia were injured when Israeli tanks targeted their watchtowers, according to UNIFIL. Another peacekeeper was struck by gunfire at Naqoura, although UNIFIL was unable to ascertain the source of the fire. Additionally, IDF bulldozers have damaged UNIFIL facilities, and Irish peacekeepers were encircled by Israeli tanks earlier this week after refusing to leave their outpost per Israeli demands.
Netanyahu also told Guterres in English to "get the UNIFIL forces out of harm’s way. It should be done right now, immediately," stressing that not evacuating UNIFIL soldiers effectively turns them into "hostages of Hezbollah" and jeopardizes both their safety and that of Israeli forces.
Despite the call for withdrawal, UNIFIL has declined to leave its positions. In a joint statement issued on Saturday, 40 countries involved in the mission urged Israel to investigate incidents involving attacks on peacekeepers. On the preceding day, the leaders of France, Italy, and Spain expressed their "outrage" over the attacks, accusing Israel of breaching UN Security Council resolution 1701, which prohibits Israeli operations in southern Lebanon.
Netanyahu expressed regret over the injuries sustained by peacekeepers but asserted that the "simple and obvious" solution to avert further casualties is to "just get them out of the danger zone."
Israel has intensified its military operations against Hezbollah in recent weeks, including a series of airstrikes on Beirut that resulted in the death of the group’s leader, Hassan Nasrallah. Following a ground invasion, the death toll in Lebanon exceeds 2,100, according to the Health Ministry there. The IDF has confirmed that around two dozen of its soldiers have died in Lebanon, while Hezbollah claims the actual number of Israeli casualties is considerably higher.
Olivia Brown contributed to this report for TROIB News
